What are my chances

[Neo-Rio]

...of getting any iPhones or Blackberries in Japan without needing to get a contract with one of the three mobile providers here in Japan?

I'm thinking it's likely impossible and I'm better off finding them on the Chinese blackmarket.... but maybe somebody knows something I don't...

[FG Lurker]

You can get used iPhone 3G models here now but of course they are locked to SoftBank.

You can also get "SIM Free" 3GS models that seem to be imported from HK. They are official Apple products but I have heard that some people have trouble getting these activated by SoftBank Japan so YMMV.

[waruta]

You can get used iPhone 3G models here now but of course they are locked to SoftBank.

The yellowsnow dev team has an unlock for the iphone, works on the Docomo network but expect some issues and some bugfixes with the iMode and phone to phone email (you probably have to manually do the settings yourself)

http://blog.iphone-dev.org/post/67797811/dont-eat-yellowsn0w


Good luck.

[FG Lurker]

yellowsn0w is long dead.

The current jailbreak is redsn0w and the unlock is ultrasn0w.

I know of one person with a jailbroken/unlocked phone that was purchased outside Japan that SoftBank refused to give a contract to. The person could of course drop any SoftBank SIM into their phone and use it just fine but he wouldn't have the unlimited data plan that "official" SoftBank iPhone users get. SoftBank's high packet charges mean that an iPhone without the official SoftBank iPhone data plan is pretty much just an expensive paperweight. (Well, unless you don't mind truly massive packet bills...)

How other carriers react will vary from country to country but no carrier that has "unlimited" data plans will be happy to have jailbroken phones on their network. A carrier without unlimited data plans is unlikely to care as they'll just bill you for whatever data you use over what your plan provides... $$$

[alicia454]

You can get used iPhone 3G models here now but of course they are locked to SoftBank.

Other than Yahoo auctions, where else can I get an used affordable 32GB iPhone 3GS? Any details?

There are some used Keitai shops around Shinjuku Station in Tokyo, but they are selling iPhones for way more than they are selling from eBay with overseas (to Japan) delivery.